Heaven Forbid (TV Half-Hour)

By Lia Nies

When a narcissistic billionaire unexpectedly dies, he talks himself out of Hell and into Purgatory, where he must complete Earthly missions answering trivial prayers deemed “God’s spam mail” as punishment.

An excerpt from this project will be performed as part of Screenwriting Night on Friday, April 23 at 7:00pm ET

Lia Nies is a writer whose passion for storytelling is rooted embracing the unconventional. After receiving her BA in Psychology from University of South Florida, she realized she would rather write satirical comedies about the human condition than attempt to understand it. Her work focuses on off-beat characters whose perceived differences ultimately help them create meaningful connections with others. In addition to comedy, Lia enjoys writing psychological thrillers that aim to fight the stigma around mental illness.

While attending Columbia University’s MFA Film program, Lia was among the few selected to pitch an original pilot to executives at HBO’s Pitch Workshop. Her pilot High Priests was a quarterfinalist in the 2017 BlueCat Screenplay Competition, reached the Second Round of the 2020 Austin Film Festival, and received Faculty Honors in the 2020 Columbia University Film Festival. Her pilot Heaven Forbid reached the Second Round of the 2016 Austin Film Festival and recently received Faculty Selects in the 2021 Columbia University Film Festival.